A year long journey of our sun traversing the sky
🤍
Deep breath in
Long, slow breath out...
Pondering this last year...2021
At this time last year, I was engaged in teaching online yoga and truly loving it. Additionally I wanted to expand my yoga offering to a greater commUnity.
I launched my website around the first of the year and then began to fine tune glitches and other little niggling things
as they showed up.
I also began to realize that the day-to-day management and growth of a website and an online presence is much more involved and immensely more time consuming than
the actual teaching of Yoga!
I deeply enjoy teaching this artful science of alignment, strength, resilience, and deep inner healing so very much.
Early in the year I offered a couple workshops and pop-up classes and felt like I was building just a bit of momentum in the online world and then, as if overnight, my right wrist swelled painfully, and I was basically stopped in my tracks...I couldn't even put weight on my wrist/hand. No downward facing dogs, no planks for this yogini...I felt quite undone.
Perhaps you've read all about my health challenges in my last blog post and I wish to avoid redundancy, so, suffice to say, healthwise, the last year has been challenging in that department.
Enjoy your breath as you read on....
Though I had health issues to contend with
I did complete a few big things in 2021.
I completed a course and deepened my understanding of Yoga Nidra and gained a certification in this very nourishing and nurturing practice that is so especially helpful to those who experience trauma, stress, insomnia, anxiety, burn-out, or are just in need of or would simply enjoy some deep relaxation.
I completed a Brain Longevity Specialist training from the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation, ARPF, a premier group of researchers, doctors, and instructors who are at the cutting edge of this field.
So now, as a graduate of this year long course,
I am a certified Brain Longevity Specialist!
As such, I look forward to expanding into teaching and sharing ways in which to bring long term health and wellness to you and your brain! As we age all our bodily systems experience the ravages of time, but we have the ability to make choices
that can create greater wellness and better health throughout a longer life then in times past. It's all about developing
awareness and making life-style choices.
I am in the process of considering exactly what will be the best means for sharing these practices...classes, workshops, both....
I more than welcome your feedback in this regard...
simply reply to me at
Breathing in
and
Breathing out....
So, can I talk about aging?
We're all getting older...right? I personally have been doing that
for over 72 years so one might consider that
I would have it down by now.
However... it’s not so simple to age well in a human body,
as some of you might be noticing yourselves.
And aging well is rather a new and very privileged concept.
Those of us who have the privilege of purchasing organic foods, quality supplements, and engaging in such practices as Yoga
are, indeed, privileged beings.
Not to speak of breathing in clean air.
I am happy and grateful to be among this characterization of humanity. Yet, I am fully aware that not everyone here on Planet Earth is able to take the time or have the space or circumstances
to allow for such self-care.
Another deep breath in and long breath out,
Kind Reader….
As the practices of self-care have continually unfolded in my life, especially in this last year, I've realized more fully the need for
self-forgiveness and self-love, particularly as we age.
The need to compassionately allow the body to speak to oneself of its range of motions, it's capacity as well as its need to be exercised, to move, to strengthen ~ and to rest.
The need to listen as it, in this case "she", speaks to me ~ and be willing to "hear" her. To listen to my own quiet voice that only can be heard in my own stillness. To take the time and make the space
to be in that stillness. So, truth be told, I'm learning to have more compassion for myself and, hence, for everyone else.
Compassion, Karuna in Sanskrit, has been
my closest and most insistent teacher this year.
Whispering in my ears and in my bones to
pause and appreciate myself as I am.
To generate Love and Kindness to myself, which is often more difficult than giving it to others.
Loving Kindness is needed here on planet Earth. As a witness to the divisiveness that is raging in pandemic form throughout humanity, even in my own community, I know even more deeply now than ever before in this lifetime, the need to generate Kindness to all others.
We need to start an epidemic of Kindness that is so vigorously contagious no one will escape!
Deep breath in
Longer breath out....
I fall short of my aspirations and intentions at times,
falling into persistent patterns and having expectations of myself that aren't yet completely realized.
Learning to be patient is another way of extending compassion. Patience has been a tender teacher in 2021.
As I realize my need to be patient with myself, it is so obvious that this is deeply needed for everyone.
Having been an injured Yoga practitioner, and aging human, I have had to nurture my patience and develop this quality more fully.
As a conscious being it is impossible not to see the state of human disfunction so prevalent among us all.
I had hoped by now humanity would have figured out how to not only co-exist but for our species to flourish as stewards of our Earth and for all who share life upon her. It is painfully apparent that we have such a long way yet to go.
I continue to believe in our ability to overcome ourselves, to hold the Vision of a Golden Age for humanity,
and so I have to rely on being patient in my continued belief
in order to stay faithful to this Vision.
Learning to be more relaxed has been an accomplice in this process of becoming patient. The witnessing of my dis-ability in this area of my personal development requires further development of
the very quality I refer to!
One might say, patience is a process, and perseverance is an
asset in this endeavor as well!
Another long, full, deep breath in
And a longer, full breath out...
As I sit here now, I am, as always, filled with gratitude.
Gratitude for this practice.
Gratitude for the learning, the unfolding.
Gratitude for the generosity of those who extend their
Love and Kindness to me...you know who you are 🤍
Gratitude for those who continue to practice with me 🤍
Gratitude for the comfort in my life.
Gratitude for my partner🤍
Gratitude for my little Stella🤍
Gratitude for Life
🤍
And Gratitude for you, the reader🤍
A long, full, cleansing breath in~
Let it go completely....
Please, if you are moved to, come join me and other
sweet yoga practitioners
this Saturday January 1, 2022
for an online practice from 10 to 11:30 am PST On zoom
Passcode Yoga
Our practice will include:
Creating and setting Intentions for 2022
Reflecting upon Self-Acceptance
Metta aka Loving Kindness
and
A slow paced Yoga practice to Nurture and Renew
I look towards the coming year with happiness and a desire to bring more to those who wish to practice with me ~ whether in weekly classes or perhaps in weekend workshops and other events.
Stay tuned...2022 awaits....
Check out my website!
🤍Find FREE videos to practice with NOW
🤍Choose from 3 different plans, including:
🤍Access to an ever-growing On-Demand Video Library,
🤍4 morning classes every week
🤍Hatha and Yin Yoga classes
🤍The return of Yoga Nidra and Restorative Yoga
🤍Private Yoga sessions available
You can simply click below to see how you can practice
for FREE for the next 30 days
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See you next year!
🤍
Sending You Love
From My Heart to Yours,
Namaste,
Laura
xoxo
